


In  Excelsis Leo

by DalWriter



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Elections, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-10
Updated: 2013-09-10
Packaged: 2017-12-26 06:10:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/962533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DalWriter/pseuds/DalWriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the immediate aftermath of Leo's shocking and untimely death, Josh and Donna struggle to deal with their conflicting emotions in the context of the new aspects of their fledgling relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In  Excelsis Leo

**Author's Note:**

> I was never a huge J/D shipper. I always prefered Sam/Ainsley as a pairing but Leo's death caused me to reflect on how everybody's favorite pair dealt with the news.

Donna awoke and stretched lazily.  She could see the orange purple sky through the window, the colors framing Josh as he stood in boxers and a white T-shirt looking out at the setting sun.  None of her clothes were in reach so Donna gathered the top sheet around herself to cover her nakedness as she started to climb out of bed. The rustling alerted her lover to her presence and he turned to look at her.

 

“What time is it?” she asked.

 

Running a hand through his hair in an effort to tame that unruly mop, Josh answered, “Almost 5.”

 

“We slept all day,” Donna voiced the obvious as she leaned back against the headboard, not bothering to get out of the bed since Josh was walking back towards her. “How long have you been up?”

 

“ ’Bout a half hour.”  Before Donna could say anything, he continued, “I figured you needed the rest.”   He sat on the edge of the bed, resting a hand on her lower thigh in an effort to connect without words.

 

Donna smiled softly.  It had been a roller coaster ride, that was for sure.  Was it only two – no three – days ago when she and Josh had finally become lovers?  At the time she thought nothing would top that feeling of exhilaration.  Even though they hadn’t said anything to anyone, it was among the worst kept secrets in Washington.  Actually most people assumed they’d been sleeping together for years, probably all the way back to the original Bartlett campaign. 

 

Then Leo McGarry died. 

 

What was it about campaigns that caused the men in Josh Lyman’s life to die in the middle of them?  His father had died on Super Tuesday, just after it was announced that Jed Bartlett was the presumptive Democratic nominee for President.  Donna remembered flying back to Connecticut with her new boss, meeting his grieving mother and taking care of all the little details of his father’s funeral, like a good personal assistant.  Thinking back, here in the relative quiet of this hotel room in Texas, Donna knew that’s when she’d fallen in love with Josh. 

 

Now here she was in the role of confidant and comforter to this stoic man once again.  She knew he despised vulnerability and weakness; she knew the way he manipulated those qualities in others to his advantage and how he would never reveal that side of himself to other people.  She debated calling Stanley last night but decided against it.  There was no indication that Leo’s death was causing more than a normal amount of grief.  What was a normal amount of grief to show with the loss of a man who was more like a father than your own dad, the man who was your true political mentor in every sense of the word and a man who you just helped get elected Vice President of the United States of America? 

 

Coming out of her reverie, Donna returned to find Josh staring at her.  “I’m proud of you, you know.”  Donna simply smiled, the corners of her mouth turning up, but she said nothing.  “Who would have thought when you walked into my office eight years ago and usurped my credentials – you were a usurper, you know – that we’d end up here?”

 

“If anyone was going to get Matt Santos elected, I knew it would be you.”

 

“Yeah, sure, that’s why you went to work for Bob Russell,” Josh picked at an old wound. He couldn’t help himself.  Even though intellectually he could be persuaded to see the merits of Donna’s decision to climb out from under his shadow, he still resented the fact that she left him.

 

Donna sat up straighter and pulled the sheet tighter around herself.  “I went to work for Bob Russell because he was willing to give me a chance, because Will saw me as more that someone’s assistant!” 

 

Josh scooted back and reached for her soothingly.  “I . . .you’re right, OK.  But I took you on eventually.  I got the band back together.”

 

“No, Lou hired me.  You fought her and I eventually won you over with my superior organization, campaign skills and winning personality.”

 

“You had a great teacher,” Josh conceded leaning in for a kiss.

 

“Yeah,” agreed Donna wistfully, “Will was great.”  Josh grabbed his pillow and playfully whacked her on the side of the head and shoulder.  She retaliated by tickling him and they dissolved into fits of laughter before Josh ended up on top her, pinning her to the mattress.  They looked soulfully into each other’s eyes before Josh bent his head to kiss her deeply.  Rolling off her, Josh slumped to side and brushed his hands across his face.  “I feel . . I don’t know. . . guilty . . . about being this happy.”  
 

Donna understood immediately.  Raising herself on one elbow to peer down at Josh she reassured him.  “It’s been crazy.  But you won. . .we won.  The Congressman is now the President of the United States, well, the President-elect until he’s sworn in come January.  Leo, of all people, would want you to celebrate that.  We beat them.  We beat Vinnik and you beat Bruno, . . .  Bruno Josh.  That’s huge!”

 

“But what about . . .” Josh made a lame gesture with his hand indicating the few centimeters of space between them.

 

“I think he’d approve, don’t you?”

 

“Yeah, I do,” Josh rolled toward Donna and reclaimed her in his arms.  He kissed her lips then nibbled down her throat, as he pulled the sheet down to palm the soft flesh of her breast.  Ever anxious, Donna responded by grabbing the hem of Josh’s t-shirt and yanking it over his head while simultaneously using her legs to divest herself of the sheet and grant Josh access to her entire body. 

 

Donna had been thrilled to learn that Josh unlike many men of his age had a strong and active libido.  He made love with the same zeal as he campaigned.  Delighted to be the beneficiary of such intensity, Donna arched her back off the bed to meet him as he thrust inside her.  It amazed them both that her body responded so welcomingly to his invasions. 

 

This was one election night that would forever go down in their personal history books as the best ever. 

 

 


End file.
